Device which may be used interchangeably as an ironing board or as a relaxation or slant board



June 9, 1964 s, MCDONALD 3,136,269

DEVICE WHICH MAY BE USED INTERCHANGEABLY AS AN IRONING BOARD OR As A RELAXATION OR SLANT BOARD Filed June 2, 1961 INVENTOR. HELENE S. M DONALD United States Patent 3,136,269 DEVICE WHICH MAY BE USED INTERCHANGE- ABLY AS AN IRONING BOARD OR AS A RELAX- ATION 0R SLANT BOARD Helene S. McDonald, 6934 Jeffery Blvd., Chicago, Ill. Filed June 2, 1961, Ser. No. 114,385 2 Claims. (Cl. 108-1) This invention relates to a device which may be used interchangeably as an ironing board or as a relaxation or slant board.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a structure which may be used interchangeably as an ironing board or as a relaxation or slant board. It is collapsible to occupy no more spacefthan that of a conventional ironing table.

The advantages of a relaxation or slant board is well recognized. It generally comprises a board which is supported on a floor or ground surface in such a position that one end of the board is elevated with respect to the opposite end so that a person may lie thereon, preferably with the head in the lowermost position. These boards are comparatively expensive to purchase and occupy space when stored. Most every home uses an ironing board of the collapsible type, but few have the relaxation or slant board. This is due both to the cost factor and to the shortage of storage space in the home. It is therefore one of the objects of this invention to provide a unitary construction including a structure or device which is capable of being positioned in either ironing position or in slant board position and which can be used interchangeably either as an ironing board or table or as a slant board without increasing the cost to any substantial degree to what would normally be the cost of an ironing board alone. Furthermore, when this unit is collapsed it occupies no more space than the space required for the conventional ironing board.

Other objects will become apparent as this description progresses.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of this invention showing the unit in position for use as an ironing table.

FIGURE 2 is a bottom plan view of same in collapsed position.

FIGURE 3 is a view of the structure shown in position for use as a slant board.

FIGURE 4 is an end View taken on line 4-4 of FIG- URE 3, and

FIGURE 5 is a modified form of construction showing same positioned for use as an ironing table, however, shown in dotted lines is the supporting member adjacent one end in extended position as when same is used to support the board as a relaxation board.

Referring first to the disclosure shown in FIGURES 1 to 4 inclusive, the unit comprises a generally elongated rectangular shaped table or board member 10, to the underside of which is secured an ironing table support stand generally indicated at 12, to be now more specifically described. The table or board 1% is of a length and width to support or accommodate a person lying thereon, as best shown in FIGURE 3.

To the underside of the board there is secured at one end a cross member 13, and pivotally secured to the underside of said cross member 13 as at 14 are a pair of spaced legs 16. Also secured to the cross member 13 are a pair of wire members 18 which are pivotally secured at one end as at 20 to the cross member 13. Each of the wire members 18 diverges outwardly and is secured to the leg 16, as indicated at 22, then each of said Wire members continues inwardly as at 24 to be suitably connected to a single front leg 26.

The upper end of front leg 26 is pivotally secured as 3,136,269 Patented June 9, 1964 at 28 to a transverse member 30 which is secured to the underside of the table or board 10, approximately medially of the length of said board 10.

The supporting stand for the ironing table or board 10 herein described is in general use and is of conventional design. It is adapted to support the ironing board or table It) in horizontal position at an elevation convenient for ironing. In other words, it supports the table in ironing board position.

Secured to the underside of the table or board 10, outwardly of the pivotal connection 28 of the front leg 26 is a generally U-shaped supporting member generally indicated at 32 which is secured by hinges 34 to the underside of the table or board 10. The supporting memlger has a central recessed portion 36 and two spaced legs The supporting member 32 is shown in FIGURES l and 2 in collapsed position, that is, it is positioned to lie fiat against the plane of the board 10. When in this position the supporting member 32 does not interfere with the use of the structure as an ironing table, as shown in FIGURE 1, or when the stand 12 of the ironing table is collapsed, as shown in FIGURE 2. When the unit is totally collapsed, as shown in FIGURE 2, the supporting member 32 is collapsed to lie fiat against the underside of the board 10; the legs 16 are pivoted and positioned to lie substantially flat against the underside of the board 10 with the leg 26 likewise pivoted to lie substantially fiat against the underside of the board Ill.

When it is desired to use the unit as a relaxation board or as a slant board as shown in FIGURE 3, the ironing table stand 12 is collapsed and the U-shaped member 32 is hinged or pivoted from its position shown in FIG- URE 2 to the position shown in FIGURE 3, where it is substantially perpendicular to the board 10. The unit is then positioned on a floor or ground surface so that the rear end of the board 10 rests at one end on the floor surface with the supporting member 32 supporting the opposite end of the board at an inclined or angular position, as best shown in FIGURE 3.

The positioning of the member 32 and the spaced legs 38 thereof permit the ironing board stand 12 to be collapsed with the front leg 26 of the ironing board stand to extend forwardly of member 32 when collapsed. It also does not interefere with the opening and closing of the ironing board stand.

The hinges 34 used in connecting the support member 32 to the board is such as to permit the support 32 to be pivoted inwardly against the under surface of the board 10 and then substantially perpendicular to the board. The support 32 cannot be pivoted in the direction opposite to that shown in FIGURE 2 to lie flush against the undersurface of the board 10. Thus, when the support 32 is pivoted as shown in FIGURE 3, it will remain in a substantially upright position shown therein, even while the unit is used as a relaxation board with a person thereon.

It will be seen that the supporting member 32 in supporting position, as seen in FIGURE 3, is much shorter than the height of the support 12 in its ironing position as seen in FIGURES 1 or 5. Thus, the table or board 10 is supported in horizontal position at a higher elevation than it is supported in the inclined position.

As shown, the unit may be used interchangeably as an ironing table, as in FIGURE 1, or as a slant board for relaxation or for exercising or the like, as in FIGURE 3, and may also be stored away in a collapsed condition, as in FIGURE 2, and take up no more space than that which would have been originally required for the ironing table itself. The cost of the unit is not appreciably higher than that of an ironing table per se.

FIGURE 5 shows the unit utilizing a self-leveling supamazes 3 port for supporting the ironing table in ironing position. This support is like that shown in Patent No. 2,546,097, issued March 20, 1951. No claim is here made to this specific support for said ironing table. The rectangular table top 10a shownin this application is supported by the support shown in said patent and same consists generally of a support 40 hinged to the table top as at 42 and another support 44 slideably mounted on the table top as at 46 and pivotally connected to the support 401 as at 48. The support 44 comprises two parallel tubular members joined at the bottom by a tubular cross member 50. The support 40 comprises a single tubular member or leg and a tubular cross member 52 swivelly connected to the lower end of the leg. The mode of operation of the self-leveling arrangement is best described in Patent No. 2,546,097.

The structure shown in FIGURE 5 is in extended or ironing table supporting position. To collapse same the stand is pivoted so that it collapses against the underside of the board 19a. In FIGURE 5 there is shown in dotted lines the supporting member 32' which would be identical to the supporting member 32 shown in FIG- URE 3. Supporting member 32 is pivotally secured to board a in the same manner as is support 32. Said supporting member 32 will not be described since it operates and is the same as shown in FIGURE 3. In FIG- URE 5 the support 32 is shown in its slant board supporting position. It would be in this position only when the ironing table support previously described is collapsed and in such position the spaced tubular members 44 would be between the legs of member 32.

To utilize the unit as an ironing table the supporting means is as shown in FIGURE 5, however, the member 32 would normally be positioned fiat against the underside of the board 10:: and same could be held in said position by means of a clip secured to the underside of the board. For use as a relaxation board the support 32 is positioned as shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 5 and the ironing board stand is collapsed.

In connection wtih the structure in all of the figures, the pivoted or hinged U-shaped supporting member 32 or 32' can be locked in its perpendicular or upright position by means of any conventional locking member such as that shown in FIGURE 3 and indicated at 54, to prevent any accidental collapsing of said supporting member while in its locked position. Likewise, a clip such as shown in FIGURE 2 and indicated at 56 may be used to secure the member 32 or 32 in collapsed position against the underside of the table.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made from the foregoing without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A combination table for use as an ironing table and a relaxation table comprising a table member or" a length and width sufiicient to accommodate a person lying thereon, a fi st supporting member secured to the underside of said table to support said table at an elevation for ironing, said first supporting member being collapsible against the underside of said table, a second supporting member secured to the underside of said table adjacent one end thereof, said second supporting member being collapsible against the underside of said table and also adapted to support said table in an inclined position when said first supporting member is collapsed and said second supporting member is in extended position with one end of the table elevated from a floor surface and the other end of the table resting on the floor surface, means for retaining said first supporting member in collapsed position while said second supporting member is in extended position, and means for retaining said second supporting member in collapsed position while the first supporting member is in supporting position.

2. A structure defined in claim 1, in which the second supporting member is of generally U-shaped configuration.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED. STATES PATENTS 309,678 Aubin Dec. 23, 1884 367,053 McCurdy July 27, 1887 1,035,896 Padley Aug. 20, 1912 2,425,810 Keller Aug. 19, 1947 2,701,425 Rewald Feb. 8, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,123,722 France .Tune 18, 1956 

1. A COMBINATION TABLE FOR USE AS AN IRONING TABLE AND A RELAXATION TABLE COMPRISING A TABLE MEMBER OF A LENGTH AND WIDTH SUFFICIENT TO ACCOMMODATE A PERSON LYING THEREON, A FIRST SUPPORTING MEMBER SECURED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID TABLE TO SUPPORT SAID TABLE AT AN ELEVATION FOR IRONING, SAID FIRST SUPPORTING MEMBER BEING COLLAPSIBLE AGAINST THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID TABLE, A SECOND SUPPORTING MEMBER SECURED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID TABLE ADJACENT ONE END THEREOF, SAID SECOND SUPPORTING MEMBER BEING COLLAPSIBLE AGAINST THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID TABLE AND ALSO ADAPTED TO SUPPORT SAID TABLE IN AN INCLINED POSITION WHEN SAID FIRST SUPPORTING MEMBER IS COLLAPSED AND SAID SECOND SUPPORTING MEMBER IS IN EXTENDED POSITION WITH ONE END OF THE TABLE ELEVATED FROM A FLOOR SURFACE AND THE OTHER END OF THE TABLE RESTING ON THE FLOOR SURFACE, MEANS FOR RETAINING SAID FIRST SUPPORTING MEMBER IN COLLAPSED POSITION WHILE SAID SECOND SUPPORTING MEMBER IS IN EXTENDED POSITION, AND MEANS FOR RETAINING SAID SECOND SUPPORTING MEMBER IN COLLAPSED POSITION WHILE THE FIRST SUPPORTING MEMBER IS IN SUPPORTING POSITION. 